I'm no hero, just a responsible citizen says 84-year-old who foiled robbery

A PENSIONER hailed for unmasking a teenage robber wielding a sledgehammer today insisted that he was not a hero.

William Grove, 84, stepped in as two teenage thugs wearing balaclavas began smashing a jeweller's windows with sledgehammers in Richmond in October.

The war veteran approached the pair and removed one of their balaclavas. The mask later proved to be a vital piece of evidence for police to secure convictions.

The pair fled with two Rolex watches worth £10,000 as soon as they saw Mr Grove's bravery.

A 17-year-old boy, of Sydenham, was found guilty at Richmond youth court yesterday of burglary and will be sentenced at a later date.

A second 17-year-old was sentenced at the same court to six months for burglary after pleading guilty last month.

Today Mr Grove told how his time with RAF ground staff, from 1942 to 1946, both in Britain and India, gave him the skills to take one of the perpetrators by surprise.

The retired civil servant said he would do the same again in similar circumstances.

He said: "Heroes are people who jump into a river and save people from drowning. It is a word that is rather overworked. I acted as a responsible citizen.

"I just happened to be the nearest person and realised that the man nearest to me had got his hand through an aperture in the glass. I knew he wasn't in a position to carry out any violence."

Police say that without the DNA evidence taken from the balaclava which Mr Grove snatched, the two offenders would never have been caught.

Dc Patrick Flanagan, who worked on the case, said: "I, personally, see him as a hero and an outstanding individual. Without his assistance this case would not have been brought to fruition."